Entangled

Judge: Feinberg in Bed with BP

Oil-spill claims czar must tell victims of his connection.

A federal judge ruled Wednesday that Kenneth Feinberg, the administrator of the $20 billion compensation fund for Gulf oil spill victims, has too many connections to BP, and must stop telling claimants that he is independent. Feinberg, an attorney who previously handled the 9/11 victims compensation fund, was appointed by the White House to oversee the fund, while his Washington law firm was paid $850,000 by BP for its work through January. U.S. District Judge Carl Barbier wrote in his ruling, “BP has created a hybrid entity, rather than one that is fully independent of BP.” Barbier said Feinberg has to disclose to the victims that he is being paid by BP.